Her voice was low, almost begging.
“I’m just helping him. That is all.”
Azuka tilted her head slightly, a mischievous smile forming on her face. She looked at Ajimka and said,
“This help of yours will cost you your job.”
Ajimka’s eyes widened.
Azuka continued, still smiling.
“So you had better start thinking about how to help yourself now.”
Her tone was mocking, as if she was enjoying it.
Then she turned fully and walked away without looking back.
Ajimka stood still. Her heart dropped. She knew trouble was coming.
That evening after work, she quietly walked home. Her mind was not calm.
She kept thinking, “If Madame Agatha finds out, I am finished.”
She barely slept that night.
The next morning, she arrived early at work. She wanted to go and pick up her apron.
“Ajimka!”
A loud voice stopped her.
She turned slowly.
It was Madame Agatha. Her face was hard, and her eyes looked sharp.
“So you think you are better than me?” she asked.
Ajimka froze. She looked around. Other workers were already watching.
Madame Agatha stepped forward.
“You are the kind one, and I am the wicked one, right?” Madame Agatha asked, her voice rising.
She stepped closer, her eyes fixed on Ajimka.
“The same man I chased away from my restaurant is the same man you are taking my food to feed?”
Her voice turned sharp with anger.
Ajimka shook her head quickly.
“No, Ma. It is not like that.”
Madame Agatha laughed slightly.
“Not like that?”
She pointed at her.
“Come to think of it, that food you are sharing is still my food.”
Ajimka shivered as she pleaded.
“Ma, please, it was my lunch. I just—”
Madame Agatha cut her off.
“Your lunch?” she raised her voice. “Does the lunch not come from my kitchen?”
Silence fell in the restaurant. Only her voice was heard.
Madame Agatha took a step closer.
“Before I open and close my eyes, I want you out of here.”
Ajimka dropped to her knees immediately.
“Ma, please. I’m sorry. I did not mean any disrespect.”
But Madame Agatha did not listen. Her face was still hard. Then she turned her head.
Azuka stepped forward slowly.
“Yes, Ma.”
Madame Agatha pointed sharply to the kitchen.
“Go and get me a bucket of water,” she said to Azuka.
Her voice was hard.
The whole place went quiet again. Even the customers stopped eating. Nobody spoke.
Azuka turned and went inside.
Ajimka looked up quickly.
“Ma, please,” she said again, her voice shaking. “I’m begging you.”
Madame Agatha raised her hand.
“Shut up.”
Her voice was cold.
“I will count from one to five.”
Her eyes were fixed on Ajimka.
“If you are still here when I finish counting…”
She paused. Then she turned her head slightly toward Azuka.
“Bring the water.”
Azuka came back quickly, holding a bucket of water.
Ajimka saw it, and her eyes widened. Her body moved back a little. She quickly picked up her bag and ran out of the restaurant.
That was how Ajimka lost her job.
She quietly walked home. No salary. No work. The hope of fixing her roof was dashed.
Her eyes were red, but she did not cry. She lay quietly alone in her room.
Later in the afternoon, she stood up. Then suddenly, her mind went back.
She remembered Ogbon, the elderly man. She remembered how he said he had no money for medicine.
“What if he has not eaten?” she whispered to herself.
She went into the small kitchen area to cook a small pot of rice. When the rice was ready, she served herself a small portion on a plate. She ate just a few spoons, then packed the rest into a takeaway.
She went to the usual place, and when she got there, she discovered that Ogbon was not there. She scanned the surroundings and looked across the road. He was nowhere in sight.
She found a locked shop with a bench in front of it and sat there to wait, hoping he might be around.
Still no sign of him.
She waited for about ten minutes and stood up.
“Where did he go?” she asked herself.
As she walked home, her mind was full.
“I hope his condition has not gotten worse. I hope nothing bad happened to him.”
Over the next few days, Ajimka walked around looking for a new job. Her roof was still leaking. Her savings were running out, but she kept trying.
One morning, a shiny black SUV stopped in front of Mama Agatha’s restaurant. Two men in black suits stepped out. They looked serious. They walked straight into the restaurant.
Customers turned to look.
One of the waitresses walked up to them.
“Yes, what do you want to eat, sir?” she asked.
The men spoke calmly.
“Is this where a lady called Ajimka works?”
The waitress hesitated. Then she answered,
“She used to work here, but she was fired recently.”
The men looked at each other.
One of them asked,
“Do you know where we can find her?”
The waitress shook her head.
“No, I don’t.”
She paused a little.
“But I think someone here might know.”
She quickly ran into the kitchen.
“Ma,” she called.
The cook turned.
“What is it?”
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